I was discussing the use of time in playwriting with my friend Madeline, when I remembered the book How Plays Work by David Edgar. Edgar’s chapter on structure covers the different uses of time and how they affect a play’s theme and meaning.
Real time is a favorite structure of mine. I used it in Bystanders, and I’m using it in Without Mercy, a Zoom play. Edgar notes, “The huge virtue of plays set in real time is the intensity of the experience they provide. Real time is our time.”
The difficulties of writing real time are many. If a character must toast crumpets, it will take as long as it does in real life. No scene changes are forthcoming. As if a conscientious camper, the playwright must bring in everything they need, and whisk it all away when done. Another difficulty is exposition, particularly in two-handers, where the characters somehow must avoid spending the early minutes of the play telling each other things they already know, if order to bring the audience up-to-date.
Despite its drawbacks, real time creates its own momentum and, particularly with a ticking clock, is my preferred structure.